


The Trigger

by summarized



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Captain America (2011), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 03:00:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summarized/pseuds/summarized
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>the secret of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes finally comes out.  This is a tragic romance.  Who knew?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Trigger

** The Trigger **

 

_Bucky.  It’s me Steve._

_Who the hell is Bucky?_

 

Steve went after Bucky alone.  The Captain now finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun.  He knows he willingly lowered his shield.  Knows that he gave the go ahead. 

_Shoot me._

Still, part of him really wanted to believe that Bucky wouldn’t actually do it.

But this is not Bucky.  This is the Winter Soldier.  Whatever Steve believes, the facts remain.  There is no recognition in those eyes.  No familiarity whatsoever.  Just a blank expression looking back at him. 

It hits Steve right in the gut and he can’t hold back the tears any longer.  He has failed his friend yet again.  He couldn’t bring him back from those cold depths.  Wasn’t able to save him.  Maybe he deserves this.  He deserves to be put down like this.  Maybe this is a way for Bucky to get back at him because Steve, who claims to have cared about him so much, had essentially abandoned him.  For all the strength that was gifted to him, Steve still couldn’t do what he wanted to do most.  This is his fault.  He wasn’t even able to…

Captain America closes his eyes.

No he’s not happy.  But he’s resigned.  He’s about to speak, but then…

The Soldier calls his bluff.

A shot rings out.  And another

x0x

The pain is excruciating.  He's felt nothing like it before and it courses through him like something out of God-knows-where.

Bucky kneels down in agony and clutches his head.  His screams echo all around.  And he remembers.  He begins to remember everything.  Every. Damned. Thing.  Even…

“Steve?.. Steve!”

A few feet away Bucky sees him.  Steve Rogers lying on the ground in his uniform and a small pool of blood is forming around his head.  There is a gunshot wound to his neck and forehead. 

Buc – The Winter Soldier killed Captain America. 

“No… NO!”

This pain is so much worse. 

Bucky collects Steve in his arms and begs for him to wake up. 

“Please…please, Stevie.  It’s me.  It’s your Bucky.  I’m here now.  Please, open your eyes.”

But of course there is no need for that.  There is nothing else left he can do. 

He kisses him as if it would somehow bring him back to life.  But fairy tales are so full of shit sometimes. 

Then, he sees someone approach.  A man.  His handler.  The one who gave him his orders. 

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?!”

The man just looks at Bucky.  A cruel smirk on his face as if he’s trying to hold back a laugh.  He probably is inside. 

“I have done nothing,” says the man, “Don’t you remember who pulled the trigger?”

Bucky does know and he bleeds out even more. 

Shots are fired again, though it comes from neither of them. 

SHIELD agents begin to surround them.  Gunfire is everywhere.  The Avengers come crashing in in an attempt to… 

Too late. 

Many of the enemy agents are killed but the handler and a few other agents still manage to escape.  Bucky Barnes stays where he is, in tears and cradling the lifeless body of his best friend. 

The Black Widow – Natalia, he recalls – points her gun at him. 

“Get away from him.  Now.”  Call it a rare thing, but right at that moment she is shaking with barely contained rage. 

Somewhere, Hawkeye has an arrow aimed right for Bucky’s jugular.  Tony in full armour is ready to repulsor blast his sorry ass and Thor isn’t sure whether to take Steve’s body away from him or beat him to death with Mjolnir.  Outside, Hulk continues to rampage. 

The former Winter Soldier scoffs.  “You might as well kill me.” 

It’s a plea.  No one takes it.  It’d be too easy.  But Bucky suspects he’s still headed in the same direction. 

x0x

He is taken into SHIELD custody and answers all of their questions.  Goes through every single test that they throw at him.  It’s not like he has anything to lose anyway. 

Fury offers him a chance to join them.  A chance for Bucky to avenge his friend.  He accepts. 

Nobody thinks for a second that he is going to stay. 

x0x

An elderly Peggy Carter comes to visit him.  SHIELD, as expected, listens in and he assumes this is also some sort of test but he doesn’t give a fuck.  He breaks down and basically confesses every detail to her. 

x0x

Eventually, they track down those responsible for Steve’s death.  The Avengers take great pleasure in bringing them down and it is hellfire. 

To any opponents watching, it should serve as a message. 

And if the assholes still don’t get it, well, they can never say that they weren’t warned about making a big fucking mistake like that. 

x0x

As predicted, Bucky Barnes does not stay. 

Most are quiet about it. 

Some claim it was inevitable. 

Others call it a mercy killing.  Or sacrifice if you wanted to make it sound a little better.

It’s hard to disagree. 

x0x

It ends but there will always be scars left over. 

Captain Steven Grant Rogers and Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes are laid to rest side by side. 

The nation mourns the loss of Captain America. 

The Avengers mourn their fallen comrades. 

Everyone wants answers.

x0x

Coulson has Agent Ward, Agent May and Skye search for whatever information they can by whatever means necessary and they do not disappoint.  Also, thanks in part to Peggy, all the pieces are finally put together. 

x0x

Ward later finds Skye, Jemma and Leo huddled together in one of the recreation rooms.

Skye had just shared what they had discovered.  It’s a rather depressing story.

“It’s not fair,” says Skye, ”They never got a chance.”

Ward pulls her into a one armed hug.

x0x

Growing up, all Steve and Bucky ever really had were their nerve and each other.  It was always these 2 Brooklyn kids against the world. 

In truth, Bucky joined the Army because he didn’t want Steve to be involved in war.  Let’s be honest, no matter how brave or how great the fighting spirit war is no place for a 5 foot something 90 pound asthmatic.  Besides, Steve was Bucky’s best friend.  His only true friend.  His brother.  His family.  The only person he had to come home to.  Bucky was willing to do anything to protect him.  To keep him safe.  So he went to war in the hope that Steve wouldn’t have to.  But Steve always wanted to do the right thing, that and he was a stubborn sonuvabitch. 

Peggy had briefly spoken to Steve before the whole ‘Winter Soldier incident’.  They talked about something Steve never thought he would be able to reveal.  But he trusted Peggy and he didn’t want to hide anymore. 

Peggy suspected something even back then.  Felt that maybe there was something going on.  After all he did dive head first into enemy territory just to save his best friend.  Yes, he rescued a few hundred other POWs in the process but the main reason he went off like that was just so he could bring Bucky back.  There was no doubt in Peggy’s mind that Steve loved Bucky.  The question was: what kind of love was it exactly?

She didn’t have time to ponder about it.  There was too much going on and Steve was genuinely interested in her.  But sometimes she got to thinking… 

70 years later, she finally got confirmation.  From both men no less.  She wasn’t surprised in the least. 

_“I was jealous of you at the time really,” Bucky said, “I felt so sorry for myself but I never did anything.”_

They were in love.  Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were in love.  But it was the 40s and they were young.  Raised into believing certain things, following certain rules.  And they were afraid.  Afraid of ruining what they already had.  Afraid of what it could really mean.  Perhaps Steve would have been willing to break his silence but…  They never went there. 

It was the night before they went after Zola.  An obvious thing about war is that you won’t know if the next fight is going to be your last.  So, they finally got to talking.  Bucky said the words first.  Steve said them back. 

_Stevie, I’ve always…I…_

_Yeah, Buck.  I know_

_I love you, you damn punk_

_Love you too, jerk_

But they agreed that they could go no further.  They both had responsibilities and the world wasn’t ready for Captain America to be in a romantic relationship with another man.  And, well, Steve had a good chance with Peggy.  The 2 men shared a kiss and that was it. 

_I’m always gonna be here for ya. You know that, right?_

_Steve nods.  Tries to hold back his tears.  And embraces Bucky, clinging to him like a lifeline._

Then Bucky fell from the train.  Steve, caught in his despair and sense of duty, brought an end to Hydra and crashed that plane into the ice.  Bucky was later picked up by the Russians and changed.  Made into a weapon.  As Steve slept, The Winter Soldier proved to be the pride and joy of the Red Room taking out targets one after the other, put into cryostasis in between missions and only brought out when absolutely necessary.  In 2011, Captain America re-emerged.  In 2012, The Avengers assembled, became renowned the world over, recognised as potential threats. 

The Winter Soldier’s true identity had been known to his makers from the start.  They knew he was James Buchanan Barnes.  No matter what type of brainwashing methods used or how many times used some things so deeply embedded just cannot be taken away.  And they knew that they would lose their masterpiece eventually because of the Captain.  The Winter Soldier may not care about Captain Rogers but James Barnes certainly did and that could be enough to break the Soldier’s programming.  So they decided, why not kill two birds with one stone? 

Assassinating Captain America was to be the Winter Soldier’s last assignment.  It was also set as the trigger that would destroy the Winter Soldier.   It was thought that once James Barnes regained all of his memories after committing the act he would be so grief stricken that he would end his own life.  Sure it was a pity to let the Soldier go but they could always try to make another if they had to. 

Of course, they didn’t expect Bucky to come after them.  In Bucky’s mind, if he was going down then they were going down with him.  The objective was achieved. 

x0x

Steve Rogers will always be a hero.  Will always be Phil Coulson’s hero. 

Coulson wonders if there really is an afterlife.  Like that Valhalla place in Norse mythology. 

Thor truly believes that his shield brothers are finally together. 

It’s something nice to think about.


End file.
